We've been chillin' here chez Marn for the last few days. I would be speaking literally, of course, because it's been days since the mercury came anywhere near -18C or 0F.

As my partner in crime and fellow Canuckistani, Cuppa Joe recently remarked, when it's this cold outside the second you inhale after walking out the door your nose hairs stick together.

No need to thank us, really, for that charming image.

We Canuckistanis are all about the sharing.

The nose hair crisis is more of a problem for the sophisticated city slickers such as Joey. Out here in the boonies, we dress for the winter. So yesterday, as I was heading out the door to drive to the gym, I looked pretty much like this kid, only less svelte and fashionable because I was wearing FOUR layers of clothing, in addition to having a scarf wrapped several times around my face.

It's not that I fear the cold. Believe me, if the term "freezing your butt off" held any truth at all, I would gladly head out into those temperatures wearing nothing but a swimsuit. But alas, it is not so.

Don't ask me how I know that, I just do.

Oh, and you may not know this, but when you're wearing winter weight knee socks, an exercise leotard, a pair of your husband's long underwear, AND a pair of cargo pants the question "does this make my butt look big?" ceases to hold any meaning at all.

It is oddly liberating.

One of the quirks of living near the border is that Vermont weather forecasts are more accurate for where I live than the Montreal ones, so I watch a lot of Vermont weather. They pepper their forecasts with the term "Arctic blasts from Canada" and continually make little jokes blaming us for their weather woes.

Fine.

Blame Canada.

But What About Alaska? Huh? HUH? Why doesn't anyone think to Blame Alaska?

So this is my new campaign: Blame Alaska.

To me it makes perfect sense.

--Marn

Mileage on the Marnometer 43.11 miles (69.36 kilometers)
Goal for 2003: 500 miles - 804.5 kilometers